


The Long Game

by makingitwork



Series: Theo/Stiles Prompt Fills [23]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cursed Stiles, DeAged Stiles, Fluff, M/M, No Smut, Oblivious Stiles, Pack Mom Stiles, Possessive Theo, Pre-Slash, Protective Liam, Protective Theo, Young Stiles, fatherly theo, fourth grade stiles, lying theo, nine year old stiles, obsessive theo, pining theo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 09:57:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6149845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makingitwork/pseuds/makingitwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theo's playing the long game, and Stiles gets cursed by a witch</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Long Game

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little thing to enjoy :)   
> x

Theo Raeken is playing the long game. 

He just needs to wait. He just needs time, and time is on his side because there's an endless amount of it. There's always going to be time. There's no deadline, there's only infinity and Theo will wait that long if that's what it takes. 

He already has Scott's trust, and Malia's. Lydia won't form an opinion on him yet. She's not really in the right frame of mind to be forming anything like coherent thought, let alone forming opinions. Liam and Stiles are harder to get to. They're smarter. Or at least, Stiles is, and Liam trusts Stiles. Wisely. They're Theo's favourites, Liam and Stiles. The Beta with anger issues, and the Void. They make him happy, and if everything goes according to plan- the game, the long game he's playing, he should be able to steal them out from under Scott's nose. And where Stiles goes, Malia will follow. And where Liam goes, Hayden will come. And with Liam also comes Mason. And with Malia comes Kira. And then Lydia will heal, and she'll remain friendly with Scott, but she'll realise she's more valuable in a functioning pack. Her powers are more useful there. 

And then Scott will be an Alpha without a pack. 

An Omega.

Weak. Twisted. Rouge. 

With any luck, he'll get attacked by something that Theo totally does not at all orchestrate, and won't be strong enough to heal. 

But that's looking way in the future. 

For now, Theo's settled in to play the long game. 

The pack and Theo are settled in Kira's sitting room, her parents are gone. Kira and Scott are sitting with their legs tangled on the sofa, Liam is texting Hayden from behind the book he's supposedly reading, and Malia and Stiles are on the floor, trying to work through some math. Theo reclines on the chair, content to watch them all. Feeling his own power grow at the increasing acceptance. 

'Are you feeling okay?' Malia asks quietly, but it's enough for everyone to look at Stiles (which Theo was doing anyway) 'maybe that witch did curse you, Stiles,'

Scott frowns 'Stiles?'

Stiles rubs the back of his neck 'I don't know, it feels like...it feels like growing pains but different. It doesn't hurt hurt, but it...' he rubs the back of his neck 'but something's not right.' 

Malia draws his pain, and Stiles makes a quiet sound of contentment, and after a few more worried glances, they return to what they were doing. All but Theo. Who watches Stiles. The slender slope of his shoulders, the curve of his cheek, the shape of his nose, and the deepness of his eyes. He's so beautiful. He's always been beautiful. Theo's always wanted him. He can remember the Dread Doctors standing over him.  _Not yet a success. Incomplete. Not yet._ And he's stood there, eyes wide and defiant. He was going to be a success. For Stiles. Stiles deserved more than a failure, and Theo Raeken was never going to be a failure.

He watches Stiles until the sun comes down, and then Kira gets some DVD's and flicks off the lights, and fetches everyone blankets and so many pillows moving is difficult even for a werewolf. 

He falls asleep to the third song in Shrek. 

 

'Oh my god! Stiles! Everyone! Wake up!'

The lights are switched on and everyone stares.

Scott and Theo are on their knees.

Stiles is...Stiles is... 

'Well,' the nine year old voice says 'I guess this means i was definitely cursed.' 

It's so high-pitched that Malia breaks into giggles 'you're adorable!' She exclaims, and Stiles huffs a glare at her.

But he is.

He's just as Theo remembers in fourth grade. With floppy dark hair that curls into his amber eyes, and that dainty nose and pink lips. A little on the small side, a little skinny and frail, and all arms and jerky movements. Theo is torn between wanting all their children to look like Stiles, and kissing down that neck. Pressing kisses into those tiny palms. 

'Stiles,' Scott whispers 'you're...you're...'

'Jeez Stiles,' Theo laughs 'you look exactly the same.'

Stiles snuffles 'maybe if you were reverted to your fourth grade self we could see that you totally aren't Theo,' but then he sticks his tongue out at the end and Malia pulls him into her lap and coos at him. It's funny. Theo never pictured her as particularly maternal. But everyone's full of surprises.

 

Scott finds the witch, and just explains everything in a very sad version of his life story and she pities him, and admits that the curse will only last a week and a half. 

It's about hiding Stiles from the Sheriff. 

Theo offers to take him, and Liam growls

'No!'

Scott sighs 'Liam, Theo deserves the benefit of the doubt,'

'And you're gonna take that risk with Stiles' life!'

'He wouldn't kill a nine year old-'

'He killed his own sister!'

Scott massages his temples 'if you're so worried Liam, why don't you go with them?'

Liam's nostrils flare a little, as he glares daggers at Theo who nods easily. Theo scoops up the snoring Stiles, who fits softly into his broad arms, and hands him carefully to Liam. Theo's car is silver and expensive, and Liam sits in the back with the sleeping Stiles on his lap. 

Theo meets Liam's eyes in the rear-view mirror as they drive. 'I'm glad he has someone who cares about him so much, Liam,' Theo says honesty, and Theo glares daggers 

'Shut up.'

'No, no, I mean- I know the pack care about him, that much is obvious. But you care about him so much you're not going to risk anything with even the slightest possibility it might not be safe for him. It's good, you looking out for him. You do it more than anyone else. You care. Remember when I saw you both in the woods? When you were following me? You were the only one who took Stiles seriously. And he's grateful for it. He cares about you too.'

Liam looks down at the sleeping child in his lap, and strokes a very gentle thumb over Stiles' cheek 'he's...I don't know how to explain it. He's like...I-'

'A pack-mom.' Theo fills in 'that's what you feel towards him. It's not as degrading as it sounds, it's the person that everyone in the pack trusts. They provide stability. They're often the Alpha's mate, but not always. Without them, tension builds, packs aren't happy. Even if it's never said officially, there's always one in every good pack. It's just the way things are. Stiles is very good at it. Though I imagine if you told him, he'd just freak out.'

'He looks after everyone.' Liam says 'and he doesn't even...he doesn't even think about himself. And so if he's suspicious of you, then I am too.'

Theo nods 'and I respect that. I hope one day...you guys care about me that much too.'

Theo's 'parents' aren't home, and they settle on the sofa, in a cosy living room, that's so normal it throws Liam off his game a little. Stiles wakes up, and sighs 

'Liam!' He squeaks indignantly 'you led us right into the enemy's lair!'

'Stiles,' Liam winced 'Scott said it would be alright- I came to look out for you!'

'I can look after myself.' Stiles snaps, rubbing one of his eyes with a tiny fist, and his stomach rumbles. 'Do you have any smarties?' He asks, and Theo smiles, and passes him a tube. Stiles fumbles with the latch, before passing it over with a sigh and plonking onto the cushions. 'Only the purple and green ones.' He requests, and Liam nods patiently.

 

Stiles has a nightmare about his mom, and Theo hoists him onto his hip, and whispers soothingly to him, rubbing his fingers through Stiles' hair, and Stiles settles. Thunder rumbles in the distance. 'You can put me down now,' he says quietly, though he nuzzles further into Theo's neck.

Theo smiles softly 'I think I'd make an amazing Father.'

Stiles snorts.

'I'd buy our children everything they wanted.'

Stiles frowns 'our?'

'That's a little forward,' Theo teases 'but sure. We can adopt together.'

'No that's not-' Stiles sighs, relaxing back into Theo's embrace 'you're crazy. A crazy chimera who's got some sort of angle I have figured out yet. But I'm gonna. You betcha I am.'

'You are the cutest thing I have ever heard.'

Stiles smiles, and Theo can feel it against his collar. 'Put me down with Liam. I wanna smell like pack. You're not pack.'

Theo kisses his temple despite Stiles' protests 'Not yet.'

 

Stiles returns to his normal age and everyone's relieved to see him.

Scott teases him mercilessly, and Liam's happy he has his pack mom again. 

Stiles is a little more comfortable around Theo. 

Theo knows it's only a small change, Stiles addressing him without calling him 'psycho' or 'crazy' or 'stalker'. Stiles treating him like a human being. A decent human being. 

It's a small change.

But Theo's playing the long game.

 

**Author's Note:**

> You guys are too good to me in prompts and comments, I love you so much xxxx


End file.
